New-look White Horse is rearing up

Two years ago the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough, Wiltshire, closed its doors after more than 60 years as a result of declining sales. That year, Booksellers Association figures revealed that the number of independent bookshops in the UK had fallen below 1,000.

The combination prompted two city executives—Robert Hiscox, former deputy chairman of Lloyd’s of London and honorary president of Hiscox Insurance, and Brian Kingham, founder and group executive chairman of Reliance Securities Group—to act. They stepped in to “draw a line in the sand” regarding the decline of indie bookshops in the UK and bought the freehold of the White Horse, maintaining that “no town is worth its salt without a thriving bookshop”.

Since then, the indie has increased its stock from 10,000 to 20,000 titles, and doubled sales. The shop is now making a profit which “exceeds all expectations” according to Angus MacLennan, general manager of the indie, who has masterminded its turnaround.

Its newest phase—an expansion of the 16th Century building to add a gallery and events space at the rear of the bookshop and art shop—has just been completed, along with an expansion and refurbishment of the existing art studio (which holds over 100 one-day courses a year) and the addition of a bespoke children’s area. The aim is to turn the venue into a cultural hub to attract yet more shoppers.

The White Horse Bookshop's new exhibition space.

The business has also launched a new website, selling its entire catalogue and an additional 250,000 titles which can be shipped direct to customers within two to three working days.

MacLennan explained the secret to the shop’s transformation: “It was absolutely vital to extend the range. We needed it to be [larger] so that people passing would know there was a likelihood of us stocking the book they wanted or, if not that specific one, then one like it. We needed to pick up more passing trade.

“The event space was non-existent—that was our back yard. Now we can have proper events and we hope to hold an event every two weeks. We will also hire it out as a community space for business talks and society talks. The space works so well, it has an amazing ambience. We have made a cultural institution, which works well if you’re selling books. If we were selling gadgets, it would not work well. But selling books is still the main part of what we do. The more people you can get to visit you, the better.”

The new-look shop had its grand re-opening on 12th May, which was attended by more than 200 guests.